Guide
Maryland Table of Citations: Appellate Brief Guide
On this page2 sections
Maryland calls this a table of citations. Rule 8-504(a)(1), in Title 8's appellate briefing chapter, requires cases, constitutional provisions, statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations, with cases alphabetically arranged. It also requires a reference to the official Report when citing a reported Maryland case. This guide concerns formal briefs in the Supreme Court of Maryland and Appellate Court of Maryland, not every circuit-court memorandum.
Generate a standard-format table of citations from your PDF, then review the Maryland-specific content below. There is no Maryland preset: this link starts with standard format, not an assurance of Maryland compliance. Sources checked October 14, 2026.
What the governing rule actually says
“A table of contents and a table of citations of cases, constitutional provisions, statutes, ordinances, rules, and regulations, with cases alphabetically arranged. When a reported Maryland case is cited, the citation shall include a reference to the official Report.” — Rule 8-504(a)(1)
Rule 8-504(a)(1) does not give an appellee a table exception. It also does not expressly require brief-page references; those are useful standard-format navigation features, not wording to attribute to this sentence.
Use the current filing-court names, not a cover template naming the former Court of Appeals or Court of Special Appeals. Historical court designations inside accurate case citations are different; a generator does not rewrite them. Rule 8-504 cross-references Rule 1-104 for unreported opinions: table inclusion does not resolve whether an opinion may properly be cited.
| Item | Source-backed requirement | Manual review |
|---|---|---|
| Case authorities | Rule 8-504(a)(1): cases alphabetically arranged | Sort by case name; reconcile full citations and short forms. |
| Reported Maryland cases | Include the official Report reference | Confirm the full entry retains that reference, not only a regional reporter. |
| Non-case authorities | Constitutional provisions, statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations are listed | Check each cited provision and use clear category headings; no universal category order is specified in this sentence. |
| Brief-page references | Not expressly prescribed in the quoted table sentence | Useful standard-format references should identify printed brief pages, not reporter or record pages. |
| Informal briefing | June 23, 2023 guidelines permit a designated alternative to Rules 8-501 through 8-504 | Use the clerk's notice, applicable form and informal guidelines instead of assuming formal contents. |
Formal briefing is not the informal-brief route
The informal-brief guidelines permit designated appellants to use an alternative to Rules 8-501 through 8-504; authorities may be cited but are not required. The clerk sends instructions with the briefing notice. This is not a general exemption for everyone without a lawyer.
For formal briefs, review Rule 8-112, Chapter 500, your briefing order and electronic-filing requirements separately. The two appellate courts have different cover colors and limits. A table export does not certify the whole brief. Trial-court filings require their own rule or order; this guide establishes no statewide trial-memorandum table requirement.
From the Maryland PDF to editable Word
- Export the settled brief. Use the PDF whose printed page numbers you intend to file. Keep its matching Word document if you want insertion into the brief. Record-extract pages and reporter pinpoints are not table references to the brief.
- Open standard format. Use the Table of Authorities generator. Confirm the actual court and settings after loading: recognized courts or a sample can override the entry selection. Rename the heading to Table of Citations as needed.
- Review the authorities. Check full citations, official Maryland Report references, category placement and alphabetical cases. Merge duplicate full and short forms, inspect Id. references, add missed authorities and verify every listed printed page against the PDF.
- Export through the correct route. PDF-only gives an editable Word table for manual insertion. A matching Word document plus text-layer PDF can insert ordinary table text into that document. Neither route requires Word field generation.
- Re-export and check again. Insertion or later editing can move pages. Create a new final PDF and recheck references, updating the table if necessary. Citation style, whole-brief formatting and e-filing bookmarks remain separate work.
Frequently asked
Is the Maryland heading Table of Authorities or Table of Citations?
Rule 8-504 uses table of citations. Use that terminology for a formal Maryland appellate brief and confirm the heading after exporting a standard-format table.
Can I omit the official Maryland reporter?
Not for a reported Maryland case under the quoted rule: its citation must include a reference to the official Report. The tool does not add or repair that reference for you.
Must every non-case category be alphabetical?
The cited sentence expressly says cases alphabetically arranged. It lists other authority types without prescribing a complete category sequence. Use readable categories and review any additional court directions.
Does a court-authorized informal brief need this formal table?
The informal guidelines provide an alternative to Rules 8-501 through 8-504 and do not require parties to cite authorities. Follow the clerk's designated informal route, not this formal-brief checklist.
Can I use passim instead of reviewing pages?
The quoted rule does not settle passim usage. Specific references are useful for navigation; silence is not affirmative approval. Verify any proposed abbreviation against applicable court guidance and your filing requirements.
Sources and verification limits
- 227th Rules Order: Rules 8-503 and 8-504Adopted February 19, 2026; relevant amendments effective July 1, 2026. Actual rule text read October 14, 2026. The publisher-hosted current rule portal returned 403, so the adopted court order supplies the quotation.mdcourts.gov
- Supreme Court: Filing BriefsOfficial checklist read October 14, 2026; distinguishes Supreme Court filing requirements.mdcourts.gov
- Appellate Court: Filing BriefsOfficial checklist read October 14, 2026; directs readers to Title 8, Chapter 500.mdcourts.gov
- Guidelines for Informal BriefsDocument dated June 23, 2023; applicability and authority-citation provisions read October 14, 2026.mdcourts.gov
- Appellate Court: Informal BriefingOfficial eligibility and briefing-notice guidance read October 14, 2026.mdcourts.gov
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